DERBY NIGHT STALEMATES
Hull and Leeds are both left crestfallen by draw
No goals between Hull and Leeds or Boro and Owls as Blades suffer late loss
SEVEN days on from their now infamous unveiling of a calamitous new club crest, Leeds United will not be feeling particularly great this morning – and neither will Hull City for that matter.
Plenty of ridicule had been heaped upon the Whites after their new centenary club badge was made public, with the design – which has since been scrapped – quickly compared to a wellknown indigestion medicine.
Last night’s scrappy encounter that got worse as the evening went on was pretty distasteful too as a derby spectacle, with a point not doing much for either side’s ambitions.
Leeds had endured more unwelcome fortune ahead of the game when an ankle injury to Matthew Pennington saw Conor Shaughnessy hastily promoted to the starting line-up – and then pick up a third-minute injury himself.
Hull did threaten on occasions, especially in the first half, but failed to hit the heights of their effervescent weekend performance against Nottingham Forest and drew a blank for the seventh time in eight Championship matches.
The pain will have been particularly felt by Fraizer Campbell, who spurned two excellent chances, one at the start and then towards the end of a tedious game.
Campbell fired wide of a gaping goal, in the incident which led to Shaughnessy exiting the fray, and was then denied by a point-blank save from Felix Wieldwald – one of the few impressive performers on show – in stoppage time.
At the other end, Leeds were devoid of attacking punch for long spells, with their pursuit of young West Brom teenage forward Tyler Roberts – who they are in advanced talks to sign for an initial £2.5m – likely to provide a badly-needed striking option.
Leeds still await their first victory of 2018, with their winless sequence in all competitions extending to six matches.
Another glaring statistic also got worse for Hull, with only goal difference keeping them out of the bottom three, with thirdfrom-bottom having a game in hand.
Nigel Adkins’s side have not won in seven league matches since December 9, with crippling home league draws – this was their fourth on the spin, with three ending 0-0 – starting to become thoroughly irksome.
Talk may have been rife regarding the witnessing of a rare ‘super blood blue moon’ lunar event in the skies tonight, but Hull and Leeds supporters were rather more intent on viewing something just as cherished 24 hours earlier: a league victory.
In the visitors’ case, managing to keep a full quota of players on the pitch will have also been a devout wish.
Such has been the way for Leeds of late that they saw another player prematurely depart just six minutes in although this time it was due to an untimely injury to add to their defensive angst rather than another costly dismissal.
Pennington’s replacement Shaughnessy was stretchered off after crumbling in a heap after being bamboozled by Campbell, who should have intensified the visitors’ woes by putting the Tigers in front.
Stuart Dallas came on as a makeshift right-back, with Gaetano Berardi moving into the middle and, given the disruption, it was perhaps no surprise that Hull were on the front foot.
They saw plenty of the ball, with Campbell and Nouha Dicko causing problems, in particular, but the hosts could not forge a breakthrough.
After another disruptive half, Leeds – who handed a debut to Adam Forshaw – were entitled to be satisfied at the interval scoreline at least, despite creating next to nothing attacking-wise.
At the other end, the alert Wiedwald did well to turn away a fine half-volley from Dicko and also made a key block shortly before the break to deny Jarrod Bowen.
With another potent attacking outlet coming on at the start of the second half in Kamil Grosicki, Leeds were not afforded too much respite, although they would have been encouraged by Hull’s poor final option.
Some unconvincing home finishing also kept Leeds in the hunt, with Dicko somehow nodding the ball onto the roof of the net when it looked easier to score following Grosicki’s centre.
Play proceeded to become somewhat scrappy, which suited Leeds, who almost nicked a shock opener midway through the half when a fine curler from the hitherto anonymous Pierre-Michel Lasogga flashed just wide.
While being far from free-flowing, Leeds conjured a couple of semi-dangerous moments late on as Hull ran out of ideas, with Ezgjan Alioski failing to connect when well placed then firing over. DONCASTER ROVERS have boosted their ranks with a badlyneeded defensive addition with the loan signing of Preston North End centre-half Andy Boyle.
The Irishman has signed for the rest of the season and will make his debut in Saturday’s League One home game with Charlton Athletic.
Rovers’ options have been decimated in recent weeks, with the situation reaching crisis proportions on Saturday when Joe Wright suffered a rib injury and joined fellow centre-backs Mathieu Baudry and Andy Butler on the injured list.
It intensified Rovers’ search for a new option in the heart of defence, with another option in Luke McCullough being still some way from match fitness following a long-term injury and several weeks from a return to the first-team fray.
The former Dundalk defender, 26, has found game time limited under Alex Neil at Deepdale this season and has featured just five times, including four starts.
His last appearance arrived in North End’s FA Cup win over Wycombe earlier this month.
Walsall had also been interested in signing him.
Manchester City have completed the signing of England Under-21s midfielder Jack Harrison from their sister club New York City – and immediately loaned him to Middlesbrough.
Harrison was born in Stoke, but moved to the USA at the age of 14 and attracted rave reviews for his performances for New York during the 2017 MLS campaign.
His growing stature was quickly recognised on this side of the Atlantic by England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd, who named him in his squad for the Euro 2019 qualifiers against Scotland and Andorra in October.
Harrison said: “I can’t wait to get started over here.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with New York City and I’d like to thank Patrick Vieira and his coaching staff for helping me to develop as a player.
“I feel I’ve really improved working under him and playing regularly in the MLS, but now I’m looking forward to testing myself in England.”
Harrison headed straight to Middlesbrough to complete his loan switch and become Tony Pulis’s first signing as Boro boss.
He watched last night’s Championship clash against Sheffield Wednesday from the stands.
Pep Guardiola has continued to splash the cash at Manchester City by signing defender Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao in a reported £57m deal.